Cat proof my house

Thank you for all your opinions on my second floor! I admit that I didn’t like them, because I wanted to give Kajsa and Tessa access to potential playgrounds. So I did something very unusual; I tried to solve a problem by asking others for favors. I talked with my landlord, and I’m so stunned: I will install a cat flap into the door between the staircase and the first cold room! I’m so happy that I asked. The doors are from 1890, and I was pretty sure he wouldn’t like the idea of cat flaps, but he said that this particular door isn’t a problem.

I decided to keep the study for myself, meaning cat-free. The second cold room will be a storage for all the stuff we don’t need and should probably throw away. So my spoiled cats will have their very own room of 35 m2 / 380 ft2!

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Mamma wrote this post yesterday. Haha, she freaked out in the meantime, because Kajsa had diarrhea. Mamma is too tired to write a poop post now, but she promised to write a summary tomorrow. Urg, she mentioned some vet appointment tomorrow as well??? Check the livetickeron herFacebook page if you want to join the fun (DON’T calm her down, Kajsa and I are enjoying her nursing behavior!!) / Tessa

Dear servants to cats,

I need your help! No, for once I haven’t freaked out, and I’m pretty sure my cats will survive tonight. I need some opinions on my house.

I live in a very strange house from 1890. It’s a semi-detached house, but the house is divided in a very odd way. (more…)

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Yeah! I’ve catified the first floor, so I’m ready to take my cats home tomorrow!

Only bad news: the shelter didn’t call me today. When I adopted my girls, they promised to call me when I can get them. The shelter assumed that they’d be ready on April 21st. I’ve been waiting for 4 weeks (!) now, and I really hope that we can finally live together. The shelter is closed for visitors on Mondays and Tuesdays, so my countdown ends on April 22nd. However, the staff has mentioned several times that I can get them this week, so I hope that this is the reason they didn’t call me today.

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Ah! 2 days to go, and I’m very close to freaking out. On the one hand, I can’t wait until the day after tomorrow (!), on the other hand, I feel so unprepared! I still need to fix so many things, and my perfectionist behavior is driving me crazy.

This has been a VERY long adoption process, so why on earth do I not feel prepared? (more…)

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Only four days until my cats are coming home, and I still have so much to do!

I’m so excited (and so in love) that it didn’t even hurt to kill my aloe vera plants. They’re toxic to cats, and I want my girls to be safe. It really is that simple, even though the plants weren’t just any plants to me. I was first thinking about giving them to friends, but I reconsidered. First of all, they’re quite big and, let’s face it, ugly. They need a lot of light, so you can’t hide them somewhere in your basement. I also remembered why I started to grow aloe vera plants: I use the gel for cosmetic products. If I have to get rid of them, I want the fruit of my labor. Literally speaking.

It was a lot of work, but it paid off – I got 0,5 liter (17 US fl oz) aloe vera extract!

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I know, I’m dramatic, but I can’t help it. What I hate most about cat-proofing my home are window screens. I wanted to have inside-outdoor cats, because I didn’t like the idea of a golden cage. I’ve accepted that the Finnish law restricts outdoor cats, but it was hard to think like an adult whilst making the screens.

The fridge is cat-proof! I removed everything from the fridge and microwave. Ok, it’d be really perfect if the fridge wasn’t empty, I really need to do some grocery shopping. It’s been some days since I had a proper meal. (more…)

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I bought some food, a window screen, a second cat litter and transport bag. I don’t really know how good all these products are, but I’ve to start somewhere.

I asked the shelter what food they’re using. They told me that they don’t give any particular food: 1. most of the food is donated and 2. they want to avoid that the cats will get used to one brand. Great. I’ll try to continue that procedure and bought different brands. (more…)

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Ok, great. I wanted to check whether my plants are cat-proof and I got wonderful results. I’ve four plant species. 1 is toxic to cats. I’ve no idea what plants the remaining 3 are. It’d be easiest to give all plants away and buy new ones – but easiest is not always easiest. (more…)

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I’ve to declutter the top of my fridge. A cat can easily jump onto the fridge from the microwave. I could probably avoid that by removing the shelf next to the fridge, but the fridge could be a nice place for my cats. They can even look out the window when sitting on the fridge.

I first thought about putting some pillows there, but I read that this could cause a fire: pillows and blankets could fall behind the fridge and block the air circulation. I’m not sure whether cats actually need a comfy surface. A basket with a pillow would be a great alternative if I make sure that the pillow can’t fall out. I’m wondering though if it’s too difficult to jump onto the fridge when a big basket is on top of the fridge.

A hammock would certainly be the best option, but I’d need to make some deep holes in the wooden ceiling. I’m only a tenant here and it’ll be impossible to kit the holes when I move out. Sigh. (more…)

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To be the mouse or the cat

One human, two cats and “Not-Me” living in the suburbs of Helsinki. Which one of us can only play when the other one’s away? I think the human is the cat and my cats are the mice. I’ll explain why as soon as I get this butt off my face.

I suffer from depression and anxiety disorder, and I also write about the impact of cats on mental health.

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